We received the following press release.--RL The line of visitors waiting for the opening of this year's International Napoleonic Fair, held yesterday Sunday, 21st January, in London, started at 9 a.m. People came from all over Britain, from France and several other European countries, plus the United States and Canada, for this annual event. Despite being held on a rainy, dull day, more people attended than ever before. For the first presentation in the Lecture Hall, at 10.30 a.m., there was a capacity audience. Bernard Cornwell had flown in specially for the event from his home in the United States, and entertained the audience with a humorous account of his Sharpe books. "I am not a historian" he advised, and deferred to the knowledge of many in the audience. "If you want to read quality military history about the period you should read books by authors whose names end in '-er', such as Chandler, Weller, Glover and Fletcher". He described the writing process, and the art and craft of the novelist and how history was adjusted so as to provide a good story. He commented, jocularly that the Napoleonic Fair should be named after Wellington, and "Wellington would turn in his grave if he saw how many Napoleonic enthusiasts were present!". Cornwell plans to write several new Sharpe books, and the next (about Copenhagen) will be published in April. Later in the day Cornwell toured the Fair and signed books and spent time at the four wargames, three of which had a Sharpe theme (the fourth being about Leipzig). Digby Smith also spoke to a capacity audience, and presented a detailed appraisal of the climactic battle of Leipzig, the subject of his new book 1813: LEIPZIG - NAPOLEON AND THE BATTLE OF THE NATIONS. His illustrated talk included many graphic descriptions of the fighting. After lunch the Napoleonic Association presented their Quiz Challenge Cup, with Re-enactors vs Wargamers vs Authors vs Modellers. Below is a selection of the questions (and answers) from the Quiz. The winning team were the authors: Digby Smith, Andrew Uffindell and Jonathan North. As prize winners they each received engraved glass tankards and a copy of the new book 1813: LEIPZIG presented by Greenhill - which put Digby Smith into the amusing situation of receiving his own book as a prize, and Jonathan North (an Editor at Greenhill) receiving the book that he had edited for publication. Visitors packed the exhibit. Once again there were many book stands, and stands with artwork and plates, models, militaria, wargames, videos, uniforms, etc., etc. The traders reported an excellent day, and many of the visitors went away with laden plastic bags. Magazines and societies from the subject area also exhibited. Amongst the visitors was historian Andrew Roberts, who said "The combination of specialists and amateurs, wargamers and booksellers, battle reconstructionalists and self-confessed fanatics made it a fascinating and really rather wonderful occasion. People came specially from all over the world for what was nevertheless a peculiarly British and loveably eccentric occasion. My highpoint was Bernard Cornwell's witty but also profound speech about his Sharpe novels and the way they have been popularized by Sean Bean on TV. I greatly look forward to next year." Andrew Roberts' new book NAPOLEON AND WATERLOO: THE LONG DUEL will be published in September (Weidenfeld). MILITARY ILLUSTRATED took advantage of the Napoleonic Fair to present, in the Napoleonic Fair Lecture Theatre, their annual re-enactment awards. The first category was Large Battle Re-enactment and the prizewinners were The Vikings NFPS. The winner of the Small Battle Re enactment award was New France and Old England, and Military Display went to The Landsknechts. The Living History award went to The Guards Division. The International Napoleonic Fair for 2001 was a great success. This annual event continues, and the date for next years' International Napoleonic Fair will be Sunday 17th February 2002. Mark it in your diary now! Questions from the Napoleonic Association Challenge Quiz Competition (Answers follow) 1. When and where did Wellington first see action? 2. On 6th July 1806 in Calabria the forces of Sir John Stuart and General Reynier faced each other in a small battle. What was it and why is it held to be very significant? 3. What took place on 8 January 1815? Can you name the relevant commanders? 4. Who commanded the besieging forces at San Sebastian in July and August 1813? 5. Which Battle is listed on the Arc de Triomph in Paris as one of Napoleon's victories and is carried as a Battle honour by a number of British Regiments? 6. The British called the first troops into the breach the Forlorn Hope. What did the French call them? 7. Only one Marechal de France was awarded his baton on the battlefield. Can you name him? 8. Which Marechal was removed from command in the Peninsula in 1809 and what for? Answers to Napoleonic Association Quiz Challenge Cup questions: 1. 15 September 1794, Boxtel with the 33rd. 2. The Battle of Maida, the first time the British Line held and repulsed the French infantry advancing in column. 3. Battle of New Orleans, Sir Edward Packenham (who died as a result) and Andrew Jackson. The battle was fought one month after the peace treaty was signed. 4. Sir Thomas Graham. The Storming was the first occasion that the British seriously tried a creeping barrage and it took place during the day because of the tides. 5. La Corunna, January 1809. 6. The 'enfants perdus'. 7. Jacques Etienne Joseph Alexandre Macdonald was presented with the Baton on 12 July 1809. He was later made Duke of Tarentum. 8. Ney by Massena for insubordination. Greenhill Books/Lionel Leventhal Ltd Park House 1 Russell Gardens London NW11 9NN Tel: 0208 458 6314 Fax: 0208 905 5245 E-mail: LionelLeventhal@compuserve.com Web site: www.greenhillbooks.com Back to 1st Quarter 2001 List of News Items Back to Master List of News Items Back to Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by Coalition Web, Inc. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com